Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-01-27
SUNDAY sermon.

II H
and Rebecca" to one of the finest congrega
lions ever assembled in Colby. The house wa
SO crowded that many had to stand, yet al
were very quiet and listened with the great
est interest throughout the whole discourse
We herewith give the sermon in full to ou
many readers:
ISAAC AND REBECcA.
And Issac brought her into his mother Sa
rab's tent and took Rebecca and she became
his wife. and he loved her. and Isaac was com
forted after his mothers death. Gen. "a; o.
Isaac and Rebecca were married 1857 year
B. c.. or 2l47 years after the creation of Adam
and Eve, and 492 years after the flood. and ~
years after the tower of Babel or the contu
sion of tongues, and 40 years after the Dirt!
OF Abraham, Isaac's father. for Abraham wa
100 years old when Isaac was born, and lsaa
was 40 years old when he was married.
1t would not be well, however, for our youn'
men to follow the example of Isaac in thi
and wait until they are 40 years old befor'
they marry as by that time the best and great
er part of their life would be gone. for WI
must remember that men lived to CREATE
age in those days than they do now, so that =
or 25 years of age now would be equal to A
then.
III OTucT u stuuy tuc HiC ohu SueA"SNS' ~
Issac, it is necessary TO have some knowledge
of his surroundings in boyhoOd. and even be
fore that, or in other words. we must study
the actions and character of his parents, anf
Abraham's family in general
When Abraham and Sarah. Isaac's parents
had become quite old and had not been blessed
with children, Sarah despaired and gave hel
hand maid, Hagar to Abraham. and to Abra
ham by Hagar was born a SON whom they
named Ishmael And few years afterwards
when Abraham was 20 years old, the Lord ap'
peared again unto him and told him that ne
would have son byghis wife Sarah. and that
she would be the mother of nations and kings
of people should be Of her. and it was also
told Sarah by an angel that she should have a
son. and Sarah laughed and said,:shall that
am old bear children? Hence the name Isaac
which means laughter.
The birth of Isaac is recorded and then not
much is said of him except when he went with
his father to MOriah to be offered as q sacri-
fee until he was about 40 years old, and ut
that time his mother died. which quite broke
up the old home and Abraham began to think
that it was about time that Isaac was getting
q wife, So he called his chief servant and
told him about it, and made him swear that he
would not take for his son Isaac wife Of the
daughters of the Canaanites among whom he
dwelt, but that he must so to his own country
and to his own kindred, and there get wife
for his son. There was wisdom in this. select
ing from his own people and something that is
frequently discussed by Christian people at the
present time And it is urged by many that
Christians should not unite with those who are
not Christians, some even bringing 1t down to
such fine point as to advise that Baptists
should marry Baptists and MethOdists should
marry Methodists and the same with all other
denominations, all of which 1 heartily concur
in provided that the more important prereQui-
sites or qualifications are possessed by the
candidates, such rs temperamental adoption,
which means adissmilarity in complexion and
features and form, ETC., delineatiOn of which
we have not time to give ut present.
But these the fundamental or major prere-
quisites, should be right in a great measure in
every case. And then. in addition to these, the
more minor qualifications, one of which we
have just mentioned. the better. For it is GER
tainly preferable, and husband and wife are
much happier, when they are in full sympathy
and agree i'm church doctrine and intellectual
and social tastes and pursuits. and such like,
than if they disagree. But do not he too par
ticular lest you be left. for 1t would he better
that many, or quite all the minor prequisites he
wanting than that You should be Obliged to sail
down the stream of time alone. Neither be too
hasty for the world is wide and furnishes great
numbers to select from.
So the servant took ten canes
all 1,;S c<ovc
goods were in his hands. and started for the
country of MesopOtamia. At first sight this
seems to be altogether wrong, for Isaac seems
to have no par. nor lot in the matter. his faith
er was managing through the aid of his SER
want the whole concern, as though it was sim
ply a business transaction. What IL Isaac
would not be suited with the woman that they
might bring or perhaps the woman would
not fas cy Isaac? 1t is somewhat similar
case to that of Caleb when the children Of Is
rael were fighting against Debir, formerly
called Kirjathsepher. Caleb shouted He
that smiteth Kirjathsepher shall have my
daughter Achsah to wife," I expect most
every young man did his best. Caleb must
have been pretty smart in ono respect, but
quite the contrary in another. He undOubte-
div knew that that would be q NEST powerful
incentive to cause the young men to fight
With might and main. but forgot to take into
consideration that men and women are some
thing more than mere machines, how did he
know who would he the victor? Why, it might
be some fellow Of such u character that 1t
would be disgrace and shame and an evil
to associate his daughter Achsah with or it
might be some young man with q very similar
temperament to that Of his daughter, which
would necessarily make very unhappy pair.
Caleb may have been greatly excited. however,
and therefore partly excusable. At any rate.
Othniel, the son of Ksuaz, the brot her of Ca
leb, thus making him cousin to Achsah, smote
Kirjathsepher and got the daughter. Now at
first sight, Caleb's doings were wrong, entire
" out of place. for reasons just stated. But
AT the second view it was all right. for he was
giving his daughter for Gods. cause, fearing
and loving God above his own family, and
YOU remember that Christ says that HE that
ioveth father, mother, brother and sister. Of
course son and daughter are meant also
though not mentioned. is not worthy of me. I"
And again he says He that eiveth to the
f,ll